SSE and TotalEnergies partner on EV charging joint venture

Scottish energy supplier SSE and French petroleum, oil and gas company TotalEnergies have signed a binding agreement to create an EV charging joint venture in the UK and Ireland, known as Source.

The new business will deploy in both countries up to 3000 high power charge points, meeting demand from EV and fleet owners to provide fast and reliable charging.

Within the next 5 years, Source will deploy the 3000 charge points of 150kW and more, grouped in 300 EV hubs, targeting 20% market share.

According to the companies in a release, charging hubs will be in prime locations in and around urban areas and powered by renewable energy provided by SSE and TotalEnergies. Several hubs are already under construction with plans for dozens more, currently in development studies.

Commenting in a release was Mathieu Soulas, senior vice president New Mobilities at TotalEnergies: “TotalEnergies is proud to contribute to the development of electric mobility to decarbonise transportation in the UK and Ireland.

“This is a great opportunity to extend our network in Europe and stake out a key position as a reference high-power charging player. We want to offer our customers – passenger cars and fleet alike – a nationwide, ultra-fast and reliable charging service that allows them to travel efficiently with complete peace of mind.”

According to Soulas, the joint venture forms part of TotalEnergies’ integrated power strategy in the UK, “combining renewable and flexible power generation capacity, trading and marketing of low-carbon electricity available 24 hours a day.”

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Increasing demand for charging infrastructure

In the UK, Source will provide the ultra-fast charging infrastructure in response to demand from EV drivers and fleet operators.

According to SSE and TotalEnergies, this demand was recently triggered by the enforcement into law of the UK Government’s zero vehicle emissions mandate for all new cars and vans, raising power supply infrastructure for EV and fleet owners as one of the biggest challenges facing the decarbonisation of transport.

Similarly in Ireland, Source’s plans will help accelerate action to meet the government target of placing almost 1 million electric vehicles on roads by 2030, while building consumer confidence in EV charging.

Said Neil Kirkby, managing director of Enterprise at SSE: “SSE is already playing a leading role in decarbonising the UK and Ireland’s power system including building the world’s largest offshore wind farm and transforming electricity networks.

“Now this agreement will help accelerate progress towards a decarbonised transport system too, ensuring the vehicles that keep the economy moving can do so in a more sustainable and efficient way.”

Scotland’s most powerful EV charging hub

The announcement of the joint venture follows SSE’s launch a week prior of what they call Scotland’s most powerful EV charging hub.

Known as the Myrekirk Roundabout, the site features 24 ultra-rapid charging bays with a total capacity of almost 2.5MW, the equivalent of 68,311 gallons of petrol.

Eight of the bays will be powered by charge units of up to 360kw, capable of delivering up to 60 miles of range in just three minutes, subject to vehicle capabilities and battery condition. According to SSE, the hub is the first publicly accessible location anywhere in Scotland to feature charge units this powerful.

The remaining 16 bays will feature 150kw charge units, sufficient to deliver just under 8 miles of range per minute of charging to a standard family car. Additionally, the project will feature a green roof populated with sedum plants to enhance the biodiversity of the site. Green roofs provide habitats for insects and birds and help to filter pollutants out of the air.

SSE also installed a second ultra-rapid charging hub in the city at Kingsway West which features eight charging bays with 150kw charge units and curb-less charging areas to ensure accessibility for all.

The company is also planning to build 300 ultra-rapid EV charging hubs powered by renewable energy in the UK and Ireland as well as their first e-HGV (electric heavy goods vehicle) charging hub at Tyseley Energy Park in Birmingham.

The launch of Source, according to TotalEnergies, is aligned with the company’s target to deploy and operate more than 1,000 high-power charging sites for EVs in Europe by 2028.

The company currently operates a diverse portfolio of assets, being one of the UK’s leading oil and gas operators, responsible for around 30% of the UK Continental Shelf’s gas production, 5GW of gross renewable capacity and over 64,000 charge points in operation globally.

In the UK, where the company has been active for over six decades, TotalEnergies operates the Source London network comprising 2,600 charge points in the capital.

The agreement between TotalEnergies and SSE is subject to the applicable regulatory approvals being obtained from the relevant authorities.